Perhaps I'm missing something but the minimum wage is currently £11.44 per hour in the UK.

This is deemed to be the minimum amount to get by on per person to pay for all the essentials.

That's £22,010 per year.

So why, on the day a person reaches state pension age, are they suddenly expected to get by on £11,502?

Have the bills and food magically dropped by around 48 per cent on your state pension date? Of course not.

So why on earth are you suddenly expected to get by on half the minimum wage?

I realise a lot of people have other incomes at this age, but not all.

It's about time a living pension income was introduced to cut out all the red tape of having to make a claim.

Give our pensioners a worry-free retirement in their twilight years.

A lot of them will have enough issues with chronic health complaints to deal with, without having to worry if they can afford to heat their home when it is below freezing.

Mark Slade

West End